It seems recently there have just been so many worldwide disasters. What’s going on in our world? A tsunami in Asia, hurricanes in the southern United States, a cyclone in Burma (Myanmar), tornadoes in Iowa and then this terrible earthquake in Sichuan province, China. ...

You may have heard the story about the Emporer Guang Xu of the Tsing Dynasty, who as a young man was imprisoned for political reasons in The Summer Palace near Beijing, a palace called YiHeYuan. Altough he could walk throughout the luxurious palace, some might say that he was fortunate to be imprisoned there. ...

The story is told of the diamond dealer who was leaving an exhibition. He saw a $5 bill on the ground and stopped to pick it up, putting his briefcase full of diamonds down for just a moment. But in that moment, his treasured diamonds were stolen. He gained $5, but he lost a fortune. In the end, he lost. ...